Bristol Vermont has prepared a draft to revise a zoning ordinance related to mining, reports the Addison County Independent.

The proposal is upsetting news for local gravel pit operators, as it could open the door for conditional-use permits. The town planners, however, say the ordinance will erase uncertainty about where and how mining operations are performed. The commission hopes the mining regulations will appear before voters at the same time as the draft town plan, which does not specifically address the contentious issue of resource extraction but instead voices support for extraction.

The 10-page extraction ordinance outlines rules governing mining, including blasting restrictions, boundary setbacks and buffers, noise and lighting control, hours of operation, dust and emissions, and reclamation.

The planning commission will take up discussion of the extraction ordinance again at its July 21 meeting.

The draft is available to the public at the Bristol town offices.